Darren Slade
|species=Human |gender=Male |height= |mass= |hair=Black |eyes=Light blue |skin=Pale |occupation= |era=NoHead era |affiliation=Order of the NoHeads |masters=*Annabeth Black *Hell Burnbottom |apprentices= }}Darren Slade (d. 2032) is a mutant. He was possessed by Mr. Stupid NoHead, but Master Intelligence freed him. Slade flew into a panic when his NoHead Sign began to freeze. When Hell Burnbottom returned, he fled. For his treachery, Slade was hunted down and murdered by his former comrades in the summer of 2032. Biography Early life Darren was born sometime before 2001. This would mean that he lived during the NoHead Empire. Like few others, he survived the rage of the First NoHead War, alive and well. Second NoHead War During the Second NoHead War, Darren Slade became dillusioned with his current life. After he ran into Annabeth Black, he immediately became attracted to her. Annabeth was able to soothe his fears and listened to him vent about his situation for ten minutes, before Darren desisted. Realizing how close he felt to Black, he gave in to the dark side, and she personally dubbed him and inscribed the NoHead Sign. He became a NoHead temporarily, working primarily for Black and Hell Burnbottom. However, less than a month later, Darren felt terrible for his actions. He vented to Annabeth, who was appalled about his sudden guilt. Realizing Black could not help him, he instead went to Baby Intelligence for help, who told him that if he betrayed them, he would die. He instead advised Darren become an insurgent under the government, which he did. On 6 December, 2019, Slade frantically sped to the Kellerman house, discovering the house destroyed and his friends dead; only baby Lindsay was still alive. Between the Wars In 2027, Darren Slade was possessed by the ghost of Mr. Stupid NoHead. Under NoHead's control, Darren committed many crimes throughout the next few months. Darren was terrified, knowing something had happened to him, but not knowing what. The unusual amount of illicit activity was eventually sensed by Master Intelligence, who quickly found the source. Before long, Master Intelligence engaged Slade in combat. Eventually, Master Intelligence won the duel and was then able to help Slade eject NoHead from his body, and Darren was more himself. Now that he saw who Darren really was, Master Intelligence ensured that Slade was not arrested for the crimes he had been forced to commit. Two weeks after the duel, Darren Slade worked with Rocken Role and Sheriff Bladepoint to investigate the murder of an unidentified singer that had happened eight years prior. In September of the same year, Slade brought Augustus Salt, the culprit, to trial and saw the latter was convicted. Therefore, the case was solved. Imprisonment On Halloween night, Darren Slade went on a walk in the night, where he was shocked to find the ghost of Mr. Stupid NoHead. NoHead tried to possess him once more, but Darren summoned enough willpower to stop him. Enraged, NoHead called out, invisible to all but Slade, that Darren had just killed Annabeth Black, and then created a huge explosion which killed twelve Muggles in the process. Slade was arrested by the Department of Law Enforcement and was sentenced without trial to Beta Prison by Evans for the murder of Annabeth and the twelve Muggles, and for being in the service of the NoHeads. He would spend the next twelve years in solitary confinement at the mercy of the jail guards. Driven to the brink of madness, he retained his sanity by focusing on his innocence. He said, in the MBH, that "it was more an obsession than a happy thought", but still gave him small comfort. Lindsay Kellerman later discovered that Slade was once a NoHead but had been vouched for by Master Intelligence. Intelligence told the court that although Slade had indeed worked for Hell Burnbottom, he changed sides and turned spy against him. Master Intelligence reassured Lindsay that Slade's loyalties were genuine, though he refused to tell Kellerman why. Return of the Dark Lord and death Darren Slade came to Whammo Fireball, concerned about the NoHead Sign on his chest, a mark Fireball also bore as a member of the Elite NoHeads. On 22 May, 2031, the night of Hell Burnbottom's restoration to his body and power, Darren fled for his life. Darren feared Burnbottom’s return because he had betrayed too many of the Dark Lord's servants to be allowed back into the fold, but the Lunch Money Bandit doubted he would get far, as the Dark Lord had "ways of tracking his enemies". Contrary to Cygnus' belief, Darren was able to stay alive for a whole year, fleeing to parts unknown. Inevitably, however, Darren was finally tracked down to a shack in the north. He was killed by the Elite NoHeads, though he managed to put up a fight and pleaded mercy, as the NoHead Sign had been cast into the sky above it, and Slade's body was found in the shack itself for his disobedience to the Dark Lord. Post-mortem Slade's death was revealed to the assembled guests of the S.M.S.B.'s Christmas party in 2036 by Sebiscuits Cardarphen, who, among others, were surprised Slade had survived for so long. Physical description Darren was a young man with a very pale skin tone and light blue eyes. He was usually seen wearing a black turban. Personality and traits According to Master Intelligence, Darren Slade was "pure of heart." He was a well-meaning individual who wanted nothing more than peace. Despite this, he joined the NoHeads when things seemed bleakest for him (with encouragement from Annabeth), though he quickly came to regret it terribly. Powers and abilities On several occasions, Darren has shown to be proficient in spying and tracking. Relationships Hell Burnbottom Darren served Hell Burnbottom during the Second NoHead War, but was one of the NoHeads who defected. In order to manage this, he betrayed many NoHeads, such as Brute Gunray and Annabeth. Because he had defected during the war, he feared the return of Burnbottom and the Elite NoHeads. After Burnbottom's rebirth, Darren hid in a shack, as he had long since renounced the NoHeads. However, Burnbottom and the NoHeads found and killed him. Annabeth Black , a close friend and sympathetic ally.]] Darren first met Annabeth Black in 2019, and seemed to be charmed by her. Darren quickly found himself manipulated by her charm and the way that she preyed on his inner conflict, effectively turning him to the dark side. When they first met, she was able to comfort him about his fears, and she let him vent to her for several minutes. He felt close to her from their first encounter. He immediately began to latch onto her, and she was willing to speak with him at times. It is possible that he loved her as much as Sean did. Darren served her and Hell Burnbottom exclusively, though he quickly felt terrible for what he had done. His defection was considered a powerful blow by Annabeth. NoHeads Darren betrayed many NoHeads during his attempt to avoid imprisonment. These NoHeads included Mean King, Brute Gunray, Korolish, and even Annabeth. It is most likely that he had betrayed many other NoHeads. After Hell Burnbottom's rebirth, Darren didn't return to Burnbottom. He was eventually caught and killed by NoHeads in 2032. Appearances * * Notes and references Category:Mutants Category:2031 deaths Category:20th century births Category:Possession victims Category:Unknown births Category:Anti-heroes Category:NoHead defectors Category:Slade family Category:Beta Prison escapees Category:Beta Prison convicts Category:Killed by Hell Burnbottom Category:Wrongfully convicted individuals Category:Heroes Category:Males